Flame machining



Patented Api-.21,1942 f l l N unirse,,STATES PATE-Nr N OFFICE azseisi e l l s neemi eenuney; meeneem, ena'waiteio; Sylvester',` Jersey City, NIJ., assigner! toAir L Reduction Company,- Incorporated, New York, -N.Y.,acorpor`ationofNewYork limiiieeiionA Mey 3, limi, Negation i i e """izciaima (ciusfey i This invention relatesto the removal ofmetal Figs. 1 and 2 are performedfsimultancouslyon i from a steel plate, or other work-#pieceftoshape -diilerent portions of the .edge faceofthe plate.

they possess important advantages in speed and the edge or ine plaie to a desired conteur. seen rie.l sie mend view of ine'nmshededge made operations are known as llamemachining and f by `the steps shown in Figs. 13:with asimilar economy as compared with tool machining when ing the mi tobefolmed is simple and a flame out surface is sumciently smooth. i i r 54 illustrateslthe rststeplof amoditled e l form Vof the invuition inwhichf two grooves are Itis'an object of this invention to provide anv i formed simultaneously' .en` ppositegsides of the improved method ofiiame machining. A morenld center of the' edge face.` i a specie object otthe invention is to provide en Fig. 6'i1lustratesthe secondstep ofgthe method improved methodf for preparing thev edges ofa ",shown inFig; 5.

. metal work-piece for.eleetricwelding` The edge Fig. "7 ,Shows the `edge formatter the cutting `i'orin produced byfthis linvention includes a slop- Astep illustratedb'yFig. .e y ing plone surfaceethat extendsputwardg toward .15 c F158 shows anedge form "similar to Figs? but thebottom,andrthat-"meetsiiinfa substantially made. with'the cutting Jets disposedat greater tangential relation', a `i:yliiidrlc'al'surface that angles'tothevertical; i

curvesout'ward tosan" approximately rightea'ngue AFinali-I2are,views corresponding to Figs. 5`8

limited height yat the vbottom of the plate edge. ,20 upper portion of the edge.

When il'anie machiningfa metal edge by the uA" steel plate IB, which is representative of process-of invention, any angle-of bevel for workplaces, has an edge face II. The edgeface the slopingface can be'combinedwith any radius is normal tothe top and .bottomV surfaces ofthe oi?` curvature for the cylindrical portion of the `Plte ShOWn in the drawings, but the invention is surface. The invention,` therefore, obtains a .25' not limited to such edges and 'can be used on wideyariety ofedge formssuitable for diil'erent sloping edge faces. e f

lof the plate orl otherwork-piece, and The'rst step of the process ofthis invention is lar corne`r. `with aland or' vertical plane faceof but showing fthe operation Performed Oli only the for diileretwelding techniques. 'a grooving` operation performed with a scarilng In accordance with one `feature or the iin/en.` torch n that is directedat an aeuieangie to the tion a metaledge is given similartreatment from 30 'edge face of the plate and moved qlengthwise both above and below when the edge isto be along theodeto produce a substantially Semi- Lformed with `aliilid between the Etop iind bottom circular groove I3. The scaring torch is prefere more .economical method for preparing plateedges, U i e ably .eqlllpedwith'preheatingiiamesfor bring- 4Anothereinem; oriiieinveniion is ine-provide e hw the metal to, l 119111118 temperature progress, sively along the'surface of the plate in a manner edges for electric welding` `This result is ai: We undefstd m the aft tamed by removmmportionofth metal as 50ndV Thelower edgeof the groove I3 1s a short dis- 4 metal contrast earner name V `'l'lcBj-'IbQVe the platen. `SO4 aSv t0 z processes' that. required Vreaction oi" oxygen with leave und n along the lowerpart of the plate allotthejmetal tobefreinoved ixiiproduclng edgeslmeed height of the land 's can be'varied with contours comparabietoinose obtained wim the am web n up 0r 10min this invention. i f

i i stepof the method is shown Fig. other bjets featuresand advantages of the 2"fandjis a cutting operationperformed with a invention will appear `or be out as de torch Hathatfdirectsa cutting jet I8 against the specification proceeds;

pfsurfacefof the platell. atthe .desired angle itothol topand bottom surfaces of the plate;` r 'I'he e j zifitnrohgll preheating ilamejets I 9 aroundthe .i Fig. lisan end view ofaplate showing thegiii-` =cutting,iet, L e i itial groovingstep of this inventio .I i w 50T, torch Il is Prelerbl! adjusted4 to cut a Fig. 2 is an end view of theplateshownin Fig. y tert I I thatis substantially tangent tothe curved In the-accompanying drawingsg/formingvpart hereof:` 1

1`during the subsequent cutting stepvof: thein- `surface of the groove. Il. but vai, little inside of ventiomqy e.

Fig. 3i: a sideclevationof the plate showing llplng'ker! II is exactlytangent to the curved mannerin which the operations illustrated in 55 Vsurface ofthe groove I3, thefmolten products produced by the cutting operation do not always discharge completely and the kerf sometimes becomes clogged at the bottom so that the cut is lost. By having the kerf 2l substantially tangent to the curved surface of the groove I3, but actually intersecting that surface across the full width of the kerf. the cui; proceeds without clogging, most of the products of the cutting operation are blown across the lower surface of the groove' I3, and any slag that does adhere to the groove surface is easily cleaned off.

The torch I1 is moved progressively along the top surface of the plate I0.. The grooving and cutting can be performed at different times, but these steps are preferably performed simultaneously on diierent portions of the plate as shown in Fig. 3.

The scarilng torch I2 directs an oxygen jet 22 against the plate edge as the torch I2 is moved to theright as indicated by the arrow ahead of the torch in Fig. 3. This oxygen jet 22 is preferably a low velocity scarring jet but high velocity jets (i. e., above 1000 ft. perminute) can be used. A short distance behind the scarring torch I2, the cutting torch I1 directs the high velocity oxygen ,1et I8 against the top of the plate at anangle to the surface, as already explained in connection with Fig. 2. The simultaneous grooving and cutting not only saves time by performing the entire flame machining -process in one operation, but the cutting jet works'on metal'that is still warm from the scarfin'g and such heat facilitates the cutting. The relative movement of the torches and plate can, of course, be obtained by moving the plate.

It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that this invention is not limited to any particular angle for the bevel face. No matter what angle is chosen for the sloping face that is produced by the cutting torch I1, it is possible to adjust the torch I1 toward or from the plate edge so as to bringthe plane of the cut to a location substantially tangent with the groove surface.

When the cut 2 I is finished along the full length of the plate I0, the upper corner portion 23 of the plate is completely severed from the remainder of the plate. The final edge contour is shown inFig. 4. The sloping or bevel face is indicated by the reference character 24. shape of theytrough resulting from such an edge contour is also shown in Fig. 4, which illustrates in dotted lines a second plate 25, with an edge similar to `that of the plate I0, in position to be Welded to the plate I0.

It is an important feature of the invention that the upper corner portion 23 (Fig. 2) is removed as a solid piece. 'I'his effects a substantial saving in oxygen in contrast with flame machining operations in which by successive passes, or in otherV ways, the entire mass of metal removed from the plate edge is.` removed as a liquid through the chemical and thermal action of the oxygen.

Figs. 5-'1 illustrate a modified form of the invention by which the edge of the work-piece' 21 is formed with a land at the middle instead of at the lower end. Two scarng torches 32 are operated simultaneously to produce parallel semicircular grooves 33. The unscarfed strip of original surface metal between the grooves 33 comprises a land 35 which may be made any desired width by merely controlling the spacing of the scarng torches 32 with respectto one another.

The corner portions of the work-piece are cut off both above and below the grooves 33 by cutting torches 3l that direct cutting Jets against the top and bottom surfaces in planes that 'are substantially tangent to the cylindrical surfaces of the adjacent groove 33. The final edge produced by the operations illustrated in Figs. V5 and 6 is shown in Fig. 7. The angle of bevel in Fig. 'l is ten degrees.

Fig. 8 shows a work-piece 33 with an edge shaped by the same process as used for forming the edge shown in Fig. 7, but with the-cutting jets directed at an angle of'25 degrees to the vertical. This greater angle of bevel is made` with the plane of the cut substantially tangent to The the surface of the groove 33 just as with the steeper angles of bevel shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

Instead of making both of the grooves 33 simultaneously, the upper scarflng torch 32 can be used to make a single groove 43 in a work-piece 44, as shown in Fig. 9. The groove 43 is made above the center line of the work-piece by a distance equal to one-half the height of the desired land which will correspond to the land 35 of Figs. 5-7.

'I'he-upper edge portion of the work-piece M is then cut off with the torch 31. as illustrated in Fig. l0, to produce the edge form shown in Fig. 1l,.or the cutting torch can be directed at a larger angle of inclinationto the vertical to produce the edge form shown in Fig. l2. The operations illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 can then be repeated on the other side of the center line of the plate .j Y.

to produce the edge forms shown in Figs. 'I and 8.

The preferred embodiment and some modications of the invention have been described. When.

the edge is bevelled both above and below the land it is not necessary that the land be centrally located, however, and other changes and modifications can be made. Terms of orientation in the description and claims are, ofcourse, relative, and some features of the invention can be used without others.

We claim:

1. A method of preparing an edge of a metal plate for welding, which method comprises producinga groove in the edge face of the plate by means of an oxygen scarng jet applied to metal at ignition temperature and moved progressively along the edge face of the plate, and subsequently cutting off that portion of the plate edge above the groove with an oxygen cutting jet directed against the original top. surface of the plate with the top surface adjacent the jet at ignition temperature, and directed at an acute Yangle that slopes downward toward theedge face, and along a plane that intersects the surface of the groove at the downstream end of the kerf. 2. The method of shaping thevedge of a metal work-piece comprising heating metal of theA edge face to a surface ignition temperature, .passing an oxygen scarfing jet along the heated metal of the edge face to produce a groove, and then cu`tting oif the upper corner portion of the workpiece by moving an oxygen cutting jet along the original top surface of the work-piece with the top surface adjacent said oxygen cutting torch at ignition temperature, and with the cutting jet directed against the top surface back from the edge face and in a plane that intersects the groove.

3. The `flame machining method comprising scarfing a longitudinal groove in a side e`dge face of a metal work-piece, and removing metal above the groove in solid condition by means of a cutting jet operating against the top face and'in a plane back of said side edge face and intersectsolid metal witha kerf thatintersects the ing the wall j of the groove at the downstream end t of the deert.

groove. by directing 4an oxygen cutting jet against i the original top surface of the work-piece with the top surface adjacent the jet at ignition temperature and directing the' cutting jet against said top surface some distance back frofn the -edge of the work-piece, .disposing the'oxygen jet i at such an angle to the top surface that said cutting oil' the upper corner of the work-piece above the groove by directing a cutting jet" against the original top surface of thework-piecev with the top surface adjacent the jet at ignition temperature and directing the cutting iet against said top surface at a distance back of the edge r and in a direction to cut a kerf that intersects the groove.

5. The method of flame machining a metalv plate edge to a contour 4for welding, which method comprises scariing a groove, of segmental cross-section, along the length of the edgeA and a snort distance above the bottom ofthe plete;

and cutting oil the upper-.corner portion of the `plate as a solid piece by moving a cutting Jet along the original top surface of theV plate with the `top surface adjacent the jet at ignition tem- `Delutill'e and with the jet disposed t0 dut along a plane that is `substantially tangent to the curved surfaceof `the groove.

the scarng jet with said `top surface-adjacentl the jet at ignition temperature, and by said cutoxygen jet slopesdownward and outward in a r plane substantially tangent to the surface of the groove but intersecting the groove surface, and moving the oxygen cutting jet. progressively along the work-piece close behind the scarilng jet so that the cutting oxygen jet acts upon metal `that is stillwarm from the scarng operation.

10. The method of flame machining an edge of a metal work-piece, which method comprises scarring two spaced longitudinal grooves in an upwardly extending edge face of the work-piece, directingv an oxygen cutting jet against the original top face of the work-piece with the top surface adjacent the jet at ignition temperature and directing the cutting jet against said top surface in a plane that intersects the upper of saidgrooves to sever the upper edge portion from b the work-piece, and directing a similar cutting jet against the bottom face -of the work-piece in a f edge portion from the work-piece. :in

ting iet severing from the plate a sono portion ofthe metal above the groove.` r i t 7. The flame machining method comprising grooving a side. edge surface of ametal workpiece [by directing `an `oxygen (cutting torch r b Qdirectlon that intersects the other of the 6. 'I'he flame machining process comprising moving an oxygen jet progressively along the j edgesurface of a metal work-piece and by said4 oxygen jet scaring a groove, and simultaneously-moving a cutting jet along the original top" surface of the work-piece some distance behind longitudinal grooves inthe edge face to 11..Theilame machining process'iwhich comfprisesscarflng two parallelgrooves in an edge faeeof abmetal work-piece-with a strip of the original edge'face between said grooves, removedge portion of the work- I "Dll above the upper of said grooves by directing 'a*,"progressive1y-moving oxygen Acutting v jet against the original top surface of the work-piece with the top surface adjacent the jet at ignition temperature and directing the cutting jet against cutting with an oxygen jet` directed against the original top surface of the work-piece with said surface in the region of thejet at ignition tem-` perature and with the jet disposed to cut through groove at the downstream end of the kerf.

8. In "flame machining s the edge of a metal work-piece, the method comprising scarng a groove inthe edge face: of the work-piece by means of an oxygen jet that produces a groove with `an arcuate surface, and then' cutting through the solid metal above the groove withl an oxygen cutting jet directed against surface metal at ignition temperature and disposed to cut a.'

kerf, the plane of which is substantially tangent to the arcuate surface of the groove, but slightly inside of the true tangent position.

r a stripof the vbetween said 9. The method of forming a beveledg'e on a such an angle to theedge face tha-i:V the scarflng jet produces a straight groove of substantially semi-circular cross-section, said groove being located above the leave anunscarfed land below the groove, and producing a beveled face, above the groove and substantially tangent with the surface 0f ithe bottom of the edge face so as to o.

`said top surface at against metal atignition temperature, and then per gr0ivl and similarly some distance back of the plane that intersectsI the upremoving the ledge p0redge face.. andin a grooves" by a progressively moving cutting jet directed against the original bottom faceof the 'work-piece,

at some distance back of the edge faceand in $12.7The,proees'sl of ilanie machining comprisingjaimuitaneousiy' meeting two scarring jets againstthe edge face of a metal work-piece with the surfacej-metal of theedge faceat ignition temperaturefifin the'regions of 'the' jets, while causing relative `longitudinal movement between the work-piece and the-scarnng jets, and produc- 1 `ing with `said scarilng.l .iets two parallel grooves of substantially semi-circular' cross-section with original surface of the edge face grooves, and following closely behind the `scarilng jets with separate oxygen cutting jets directed against the original top'and bottom surfaces ofthe work-piece with said top andbottom surfaces at ignition temperature in` the regions 65` of the oxygen iets, and directing said Jets against .the top and bottom surfaces of the `work-piece at a distance back from the edge face of the work-piece and along planes substantially tangent to the curved surfaces of the upper and lower` grooves, respectively, ofsaid parallel grooves. r

HOWARD'G. HUGHEY. WALTER G. SYLVESTER.

sever the lower below the lower of'said a" plane that intersects the lower t 

